EXPERIENCING THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE: Understanding Our Faith Foundation

Memorial Drive 2/17/19 EXPERIENCING THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE: Understanding Our Faith-Foundation Various Texts “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but BE FILLED with the Spirit.” Review of the Filling of the Spirit … • Imperative – A Command • Passive – We can’t make it happen but we can cooperate with God • Present – Can experience repeatedly but also should become characteristic of life • As Pressure of Wind Filling a Sail – Being moved by the Spirit at His will • As Permeation Like a Perfume – We live out an aroma of Christlikeness • As Domination – Controlled and under the power and rule of the Spirit • Last Week – Noted dozens of things the Spirit does in our lives Point: We experience these to the degree that we are “full” of the Spirit! Do Not Grieve the Spirit Be Filled With the Spirit Ephesians 4:30 Ephesians 5:18 If we are to live a Spirit-filled life we must UNDERSTAND and KEEP OUR FOCUS on THE ROLE OF FAITH in our SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION. • SALVATION: God makes us holy/ before Him in POSITION (Point in Time) • SANCTIFICATION: God makes us holy before Him in PRACTICE (Ongoing) • SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION: God’s Spirit is involved with both! Salvation: “He SAVED US, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing BY THE HOLY SPIRIT whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior …” (Titus 3:5-6) Sanctification: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, THE SPIRIT.” (2 Cor. 3:18) • SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION: Both are based upon faith in what God has done and is doing and not in our own works and what or how we are doing! Our Key Text … “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3) … OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BEGINS WITH SALVATION THROUGH FAITH Their Focus Was No Longer on Christ Crucified But Their Own Efforts … Who got to you? Did you receive the Spirit (salvation) by works of the Law or by faith? Christ was publicly portrayed before you as “crucified”! (Paul’s summary) The Gospel … • All have sinned! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro. 3:23) • Sin carries a penalty, death ! “The wages of sin is death …” (Rom. 6:23a) • God has a solution, Christ’s death in our place! “… but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23b) • The gift is received by faith, not by working hard to please God to be acceptable to Him! “… knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS, even we have BELIEVED IN CHRIST JESUS, so that we may be justified BY FAITH IN CHRIST and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Gal. 2:16) “… what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, SO THAT THE REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:3-4) What does this have to do with being “filled” with the Spirit? Faith in Christ is the foundation of any work of God’ Spirit in you or me. … OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CONTINUES THROUGH SANCTIFICATION BY FAITH False Teachers Said That Faith Wasn’t Enough … You’re deserting Christ for a different gospel! (Galatians 1:6-7) Paul Is Saying That Faith Was Enough To Begin and It’s Enough to Continue … “Are you so foolish? Having BEGUN by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Gal. 3:3) “THROUGH the Law I died TO the Law so that I might LIVE to God!” (2:19) Bad News: Through the Law I died Good News: To the Law (No more penalty!) Great News! That I might live to God ! How? “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal. 2:20) Our Tendency Is To Fall Into the Galatian’s Error … WORK HARDER! DO BETTER! God frequently has to remind me that on my worst day, he sees me as “in Christ” and therefore as “RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST.” “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:18ff)